Nakheel awards $1.14bn contract for Deira Mall

Master developer Nakheel has awarded a $1.14bn (AED4.2bn) construction contract to build the Deira Mall to United Engineering Construction.

United Engineering will begin the construction in the third quarter of this year, with completion scheduled for 2020.

With 37ha of leasable area, Deira Mall will be the biggest in Dubai in terms of shop space, Dubai Media Office reported.

It will be located on Deira Islands, Nakheel’s new 15.3km2 waterfront city that is part of Dubai’s 2021 vision.

With a total built-up area of 95.7ha, including a 35.3ha multi-storey car park with 8,400 spaces, Deira Mall will feature more than 1,000 shops, cafes, restaurants, and entertainment outlets across three floors.

The contemporary development will boast a retractable roof, bringing natural light into the complex and allowing open-air shopping in cooler months.

Deira Mall will be the centre of Deira Boulevard, a new $1.36bn (AED5bn) Nakheel community with 16 residential towers, nearly 3,000 apartments and retail, restaurant and recreation space.

Together, Deira Mall and Boulevard will have 41.8ha of shop space. A construction tender for Deira Boulevard was released in January this year.

Deira Mall is one of two large-scale retail projects by Nakheel Malls at Deira Islands. The other, Deira Islands Night Souk, is set to become the world’s largest night market, with 5,300 shops and almost 100 quayside cafes and restaurants.

Construction is in full swing, with the project due for completion in 2018. All units at the Night Souk are fully leased.